Bangkok Write-up – National Telecom investigating new business options
Corporation eager to sign up for sensible meter challenge
Condition telecom organization Countrywide Telecom (NT) is keen to join the clever meter venture operated by Metropolitan Energy Authority (MEA) and Provincial Electric power Authority (PEA) by delivering the two point out enterprises with details communications companies.
The shift is an effort and hard work by NT to explore new organization options as it prepares to eliminate yearly income of 40 billion baht next yr with the expiry of some small business agreements with personal mobile mobile phone operators. NT will also shed the rights to several spectrum ranges in 2025.
According to the point out company, generating new profits streams is one of its vital aims this 12 months. The other important agenda item worries increasing the value of NT’s current property by turning it into a countrywide telecom infrastructure company, restructuring administration, and splitting profitable units into new organizations.
New chairman Nattapon Nattasomboon explained NT approached MEA and PEA with regards to their pointers for the advancement of the good meter job. Equally enterprises are investing in the undertaking on a section-by-stage basis.
A good meter is an digital product that data related information, this sort of as the consumption of power, voltage stages, the existing, and other electric power-relevant elements, and sends the details to the customer and the suppliers of the electricity.
Mr Nattapon mentioned NT would optimise its 700-megahertz spectrum network ability to offer the connectivity to aid the clever meter task.
NT hopes the electrical energy authorities will prioritise its participation in the job as it is a condition-owned business serving a countrywide safety purpose in the region of significant info infrastructure.
RESTRUCTURING
NT was shaped by the merger of TOT and CAT Telecom. Prior to the merger, TOT partnered with Sophisticated Information Support (AIS) on TOT’s 2100MHz service supplying. It also partnered with the corporation then known as Total Access Communication (DTAC) on TOT’s 2300MHz. NT’s appropriate to use those spectrum ranges will expire in 2025.
Prior to the merger, CAT Telecom partnered with Real Go H Universal Conversation on CAT’s 850MHz provider. NT’s legal rights to the spectrum expire in 2025.
Outside of 2025, NT will only have its telecom assets, most noticeably its telecom towers, and will run by utilising some of its other spectrum ranges this sort of as 700MHz and 26GHz, which the condition organization gained in a licence auction that took location in February 2020.
Mr Nattapon mentioned the once-a-year revenue stream of around 40 billion baht derived from various present partnership agreements with non-public operators will stop after the agreements expire up coming year.
“The clock is ticking, we’ve no time for hesitation but have to urgently reengineer all functions and initiatives as nicely as make improvements to the effectiveness of the administration construction.”
Mr Nattapon stated several agendas are established to be actively promoted this year.
Initial, NT must create its enterprise as an infrastructure service provider, sharing the services with non-public operators to provide their providers, somewhat than concentrating on delivering its individual company in a crimson ocean industry.
NT now has telecom infrastructure, conduits and other property these types of as structures nationwide which have a put together price of much more than 200 billion baht.
The business also owns conduits that operate along streets masking a length of 4,360 kilometres nationwide, of which roughly 3,500km is in Bangkok with the remainder positioned in the provinces. The combined length of the conduits is 41,200km.
NT has cash movement amounting to roughly 100 billion baht.
The condition company plans to start a solitary very last mile services that will share its overhead one fibre-optic network with all telecom and broadcasting operators to accessibility homes.
Pilot assignments have been created together a number of routes like Narknivat Highway and Khao San Road in Bangkok, along with an area of Pattaya. NT is set to implement the task on Yaowarat Highway in Bangkok, which is a common place for foreign visitors.
Beneath the neutral previous mile principle, all connected events have to jointly appoint a single corporation to become the sole previous mile service provider which will be liable for setting up fibre connections to achieve homes. Telecom operators have to pay a rental payment to the single final mile provider at the conventional level.
Mr Nattapon claimed NT has to investigate and seriously speed up implementation of this venture.
Second, NT has 16 senior government vice-presidents which is too many for a telecom business. These positions are not all connected to NT’s main organizations.
“It necessary to be restructured to develop into much more compact and flexible,” Mr Nattapon reported.
NT is also in the process of cutting down its headcount from the recent amount of 14,000 to 7,000 in excess of the subsequent couple decades as a result of early retirement programmes.
3rd, NT would have to clearly define the approach to split its lucrative organizations into new providers. Amongst the enterprises that could likely be spun off from NT is its details centre enterprise.
